These Stolen Moments
by xytera
Summary: Progress has been slow over the years, but Naruto is determined to keep his clueless Kazekage near and dear even if he only has stolen moments of time. NaruGaa
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here's a gift to all you NaruGaa fans!

Credits to Kishimoto Masashi for the characters. The story is mine.

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**Chapter 1**

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"Ow! That hurts!"

Ignoring the whine from the squirming blond, Gaara continued to wrap the injured limb with smooth, precise movements. "Don't move so much."

"You don't need to wrap it; I'll heal soon anyways," Naruto grumbled but obediently stopped moving.

Once he was satisfied, Gaara moved back and placed the rest of the gauze back on the table while Naruto inspected his bandaged arm.

"You would have bled all over the place," Gaara calmly pointed out as he turned to face the disgruntled, shirtless young man seated on the bed.

"Yeah, but—" Naruto began.

"And you didn't want to call Haruno-san," Gaara smoothly interrupted, crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"But…" Naruto started before scowling. He hadn't wanted to worry Sakura, and he wasn't bleeding _that_ much anyways. From the intent look on Gaara's face as he surveyed Naruto, the redhead was feeling a bit guilty for being the cause of his injuries.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked at the sudden question.

"Your injuries," Gaara flicked a glance towards his bandaged arm and multitude of bruises.

"Oh. Nope! I'm perfectly fine!" Naruto said cheerfully. "Don't worry about it – I'm the one who wanted to spar! You've gotten really good at controlling your sand, but my new technique I'm developing will be unbeatable once I perfect it."

The redhead went silent as Naruto babbled, still staring at him with that intent, slightly troubled look. To anyone else, the young sand nin would have appeared expressionless, but Naruto had known Gaara long enough to recognize the subtle hints of emotion.

The blond paused his chatter and gentled his tone. "Gaara? Don't worry about it, really. I'm fine."

The slight wrinkling of his brow indicated the redhead's distress, but he didn't answer. The friendly spar had gotten a little out of hand, but that had been mostly Naruto's fault. They didn't get to see each other often, considering they were from different villages, and they rarely got to spend time together when Gaara was here on kage business. Naruto had jumped at the chance when he discovered Gaara had some free time to spare earlier today. It had gone well until Naruto had realized how pretty the young Kazekage looked with the sun turning his reddish auburn hair into a brilliant autumn blaze and how his milky-white skin seemed to glow like moonlight.

The brief hesitance in his movements had given Gaara the chance to slip through his defenses and throw Naruto with his sand – but the Kazekage hadn't expected Naruto to simply allow himself to be thrown. Naruto, still in a daze, had crashed into the surrounding foliage, the kunai he held slipping from his fingers and slicing a deep gash into his forearm.

Needless to say, Gaara had quickly ended the spar, wanting to rush Naruto to the hospital, but had reluctantly taken him back to Naruto's home when the blond had refused to worry his pink-haired teammate or receive a severe tongue lashing about bothering the leader of another village.

Currently, he was seated on his bed with the redhead looking over him with that slightly worried look in his jade-green eyes. Naruto felt a tad bit guilty. He hadn't told Gaara about his feelings. As impulsive as he was, even Naruto knew pushing things with the emotionally deprived sand nin wasn't a good idea, especially since Gaara hadn't shown any of the same feelings towards him. Progress had been slow but it was getting there.

Two years after the war with Madara, the villages had settled in, and visits from the Kazekage had been more frequent to stabilize the last of the treaties of the allied nations. Naruto had used all of those chances to find some time, even if it had only been a few minutes, with Gaara. It had taken almost four months before Gaara had stopped tensing under Naruto's friendly touches, a _year_ before Gaara tentatively returned them – even then, those were few and far between – and nearly a year and a half before his rare smiles became – slightly – more frequent. Even so, that didn't stop Naruto from dropping hints – not that they really helped since Gaara remained clueless.

"Are you alright?"

Naruto shook himself from his thoughts, smiling brilliantly at the redhead, who was looking at him oddly – probably because Naruto's prolonged silence had been unusual. "Yeah, like I said, I'll be all healed soon."

The reassurance didn't make Gaara look any less concerned.

"Would you like me to do anything?" the redhead inquired hesitantly.

"Huh? For what?" Naruto asked.

"To ease your pain," Gaara said, apparently still convinced Naruto had life-threatening injuries.

"Gaara, I'm—" Naruto stopped, an idea forming in his head. "Actually…"

Gaara tilted his head slightly, waiting expectantly. Naruto resisted the urge to squeeze the Kazekage. He had no right to look so damn adorable! Determinedly pushing those thoughts away, Naruto held up his bandaged arm.

"It kinda hurts a bit," Naruto told him, feeling a little guilty himself when he saw the guilty look flash in the redhead's eyes. His injuries actually didn't bother him at all. "But you can make it feel better."

"How?"

"Come closer," Naruto beckoned.

The Kazekage hesitated for only a second before he stepped closer until they were nearly in touching distance, gazing down at him with that cutely worried look. Naruto almost smiled but remembered he was supposed to be hurting.

"What am I supposed to do?" Gaara asked.

Naruto took a deep, steadying breath. It was now or never. "Kiss the hurt away."

Gaara gave a slow blink when the words registered, a slight frown pulling at his lips. "…Kiss?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. If you kiss the wound, then the pain goes away."

"Really?" the redhead asked, tilting his head curiously.

Naruto nodded sagely. "Trust me; it works."

The redhead looked doubtful, but when he glanced at the bandaged limb, he slowly gave a single nod of affirmation. "Okay."

Naruto should have felt guilty for using Gaara's guilt and naiveté, but he was much too excited when the redhead gently took the injured limb and leaned down. He willed his heart to stop pounding in his chest as soft-looking lips pressed against the bandage for a brief second.

"Is it better?" Gaara questioned when he lifted his head, unaware of the blond's inward delight.

"Yes," Naruto breathed. "But my bruises still hurt. Can you do those, too?"

Gaara nodded. "Where?"

"Here," Naruto pointed to the already fading bruise on his shoulder.

Gaara had to move closer to reach that one. Naruto, still shirtless and seated on the bed, allowed the redhead to stand between his knees. When the soft touch of lips met his shoulder, the blond had to hold back his shudder of pleasure.

"Here, too," he murmured huskily, pointing to the tiny bruise on his collarbone, biting back a groan when the redhead kissed it too.

"And here," he touched the nearly invisible bruise on his jawline, hoping that the sand nin didn't notice his...predicament. Nothing like an erection to spoil the moment.

Once Gaara had kissed the nonexistent bruise, he pulled back slightly. "Does it still hurt?"

Naruto's throat was suddenly dry. "One last place."

"Where?"

"Here," Naruto's slightly trembling finger pointed at his lips, his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.

Gaara stared at him for a long minute. Naruto waited in anticipation, feeling like he would die if the redhead didn't respond. The sand nin seemed to be analyzing the situation carefully, and Naruto hoped the redhead didn't kill him if he realized he'd been tricked into giving kisses.

"You didn't get hurt there," Gaara finally said.

"It hurts," Naruto did his best imitation of a kicked puppy. Screw it. If he got turned into a pile of bloody goo, at least he'd die a happy pile of bloody goo.

The redhead seemed to debate over this. "Will you feel better?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, trying and probably failing to not look too eager. "Yes. It'll make me feel a lot better."

There was a slight hesitance before the redhead nodded once. "Okay."

Naruto forced himself to hold still when the sand nin placed slim hands on his shoulders – presumably for balance – as he leaned in. The blond didn't close his eyes, not wanting to miss a moment. Gaara paused barely an inch away, their warm breaths mingling, his jade green eyes studying the blond intently before he closed the last inch and pressed incredibly soft pink lips to Naruto's.

Naruto sighed out contentedly, arms instinctively winding around the redhead's slender waist and pulling him close. Gaara tensed minutely, not expecting it, but quickly relaxed in the hold. The kiss ended all too soon, however, when the redhead pulled back slightly.

"Feel better?" he asked, lips brushing against the blond's at their close proximity, his gaze never leaving a pair of heavy-lidded sky blue eyes.

"Almost," Naruto murmured, pushing his luck and leaning up to capture those perfect lips once again.

It took a couple minutes to coax Gaara's mouth open, but once he did, Naruto wasted no time in thrusting his tongue inside and sweeping the supple muscle around every crevice of the warm, wet orifice. Gods, he tasted good! The little noise of surprise Gaara made only spurred the blond on, and suddenly, the redhead found himself on the bed underneath an eager blond. They both panted, staring at each other, lips tingling. Naruto was enamored with the light pink flush on the usually stoic sand nin's face, and he was about to continue when the redhead spoke.

"I'm assuming you're better if you have the energy to move that much."

The soft monotone yet slightly breathless voice broke through Naruto's cloud of lust, and he realized exactly _who_ he was about to ravish and _why_ he shouldn't. Disappointment filled him, but he chuckled as he rested his forehead on the sand nin's staring into the other's eyes.

"Yeah," he replied softly. "I'm feeling better."

They stayed like that for another minute before Naruto forced himself to move from the nice position. He picked up his shirt and slipped it on, watching Gaara get off the bed.

"I have a meeting in twenty minutes. If I don't see you afterwards, we will talk another time," the redhead said, back in his cool, calm Kazekage mode.

"Sure. Have fun talking with Granny Tsunade," Naruto said, smiling genuinely when the redhead nodded in response, picking up his gourd by the door and silently leaving.

Ten minutes later, Naruto was warming a pot of water for his ramen, whistling cheerily. Progress had never felt so good.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but then I decided to make it a two-shot, and then it progressed into a really long extra chapter, so I decided to split this chapter in two...

Credits to Kishimoto Masashi for the characters. The story is mine.

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**Chapter 2  
**

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Standing in his room, Naruto stared into calm jade-green eyes, palms sweating and heart pounding in an unsteady beat. He licked his dry lips and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Gaara…" he began, unable to tear his gaze away from those beautiful eyes he loved so much. "Gaara, I—"

Naruto stopped, swallowing hard. The redhead before him gazed at him patiently, waiting for him to speak.

"I love you!" Naruto blurted out. "For a long time now – I can't remember exactly when, but I think I…I think I want to be with you forever."

The beautiful eyes widened slightly before they gentled. Naruto smiled sheepishly, a bright red flush staining his cheeks.

"Naruto," Gaara murmured, stepping closer.

"Gaara," Naruto whispered, stepping forward as well.

They stopped in the middle of the room, scarcely an inch away from touching. Naruto stared down into those captivating jade eyes ringed in black. He reached up, fingers lightly skimming a petal-soft cheek.

"Gaara," Naruto said again. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Naruto," Gaara smiled softly.

Naruto's heart clenched at the admission. He smiled sadly, fingers stroking the soft cheek one last time before he dropped his hand and stepped away.

"If only it could happen like that," he whispered as Gaara disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Sighing, Naruto flopped down onto his bed with his legs dangling off the edge, throwing an arm over his eyes. If only that had been the _real_ Gaara. He would have been ecstatic had Gaara actually returned his feelings. It was kind of pathetic, really, practicing saying 'I love you' to a doppelganger he'd changed to look like the Kazekage. He didn't know how he'd be able to say it to the real Kazekage considering he'd been nervous as hell to say it to a _doppelganger_.

"Dammit," Naruto muttered, sitting upright, feeling depressed. He stared into the empty room, imagining Gaara standing before him, gazing at him with his stern, solemn features. And, Naruto realized, it had been in this exact same position he sat in when he'd kissed Gaara for the first time. Nearly six months ago to be exact.

In those six months afterwards, he'd only seen Gaara a total of two times. The first had only been a few minutes to chat after a kage meeting, and the second, nearly three months ago, he'd managed to drag Gaara to dinner after yet another kage meeting. Naruto had been a little disappointed when the sand nin had behaved normally, as if they'd never kissed – that is, until Naruto had caught Gaara staring at him over the table with a different kind of intensity than usual. At his lips, to be specific. The adorable pink tinge to the redhead's cheeks when he'd swiftly turned away had made Naruto's heart flutter with hope. Maybe Gaara _did_ feel something towards him. Maybe, just maybe, Gaara might love him, too.

Which was why Naruto was practicing saying 'I love you' to Gaara doppelgangers. Even if there was a little chance of Gaara returning his feelings, Naruto wanted to be prepared. Next time he saw Gaara, he'd tell him for sure. And if Gaara didn't return his feelings – well, Naruto wasn't really sure what he'd do, and he hoped it didn't come to that, but he at least wanted to let out these feelings he'd been hiding away for these past few years. It had been a feat in itself considering he was Uzumaki Naruto, the loudmouth Konoha nin who couldn't sit still for a minute, but for Gaara, he felt he could do anything.

Before he could conjure up another Gaara doppelganger and practice confessing again like he'd been doing for the past hour, a knock sounded at the door. Scowling at the interruption, Naruto went to the door to kick the person out so he could continue.

"What do you wa—" he started to demand as he swung open the door, but stopped abruptly when he saw who it was.

"You were saying?" Sakura raised a pink brow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh…" Naruto gulped, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Come in?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and walked in, placing a bag on the table in the kitchen. "I brought dinner. Eating ramen every day isn't healthy for you."

"Oh, thanks," Naruto brightened, following his pink-haired friend to the kitchen. "What did you bring?"

"My mom made stew and chicken. I picked up some sweets on the way, too," Sakura said, taking the containers out of the bag and setting them on the table.

"Mm, smells good," Naruto commented, peering over her shoulder.

Ten minutes later, both nins were seated at the dining table. Having already eaten dinner, Sakura sat opposite of him with a cup of tea and watched as he devoured the food. Despite the fact that she regularly beat on him nearly every day for his perverted-ness or overzealous stunts, she smiled with motherly fondness as she watched him. Someone had to watch out for the lively blond.

"Say, Sakura," Naruto said through a mouthful of stew as he looked up.

"Ew, Naruto. Don't talk with your mouth full," Sakura grimaced. Sheesh, even at eighteen, Naruto's manners were sadly lacking.

"Sorry," he muttered, swallowing quickly. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you a question."

"What is it?" Sakura asked, curiosity sparking at the nervous look passing over the blond's features.

"Um, w-well, it's…" Naruto stammered uncharacteristically, placing the spoon into the empty bowl. "I was wondering, how do you tell someone you l—love hi—er, her?"

Understanding lit in her eyes, and Sakura smiled knowingly. "Are you planning on telling Gaara?"

"Yeah," Naruto said before his eyes widened and he stared at her in shock. "Wait, how do you know?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're not exactly very subtle, Naruto. It was pretty obvious to everyone except for Gaara."

"But…" Naruto protested weakly. How? He'd never told anyone, and he was sure he'd kept his feelings well hidden.

"You act differently when you're around him," Sakura told him when she saw the confusion swirling in his eyes. "Like a love-sick puppy. When he pays attention to you, you perk up, and you get this really happy look on your face, but when he doesn't pay attention to you, you look like a child whose candy was stolen."

Naruto had the grace to blush. "I do _not_!"

"Don't deny it," Sakura said, giving him a hard stare even though her eyes danced with mirth. "You don't do that to anyone else, and it didn't take long for me or anyone else to figure out."

"Wait, how many people know?" Naruto asked, feeling the first stirrings of dread.

"Besides myself, everyone in Konoha," Sakura said bluntly, and then added as an afterthought, "Oh, and Temari and Kankuro, too."

Naruto groaned, planting his face on the table in defeat. When had this happened and why didn't he notice? Oh, wait, because he didn't notice anything but a certain clueless Kazekage these days. But he couldn't help it! Gaara was too cute for words, especially when he would get this carefully blank expression when he didn't understand something and try to bluff it off with silence. It had happened on several occasions, and each time Naruto had had to resist kidnapping the redhead and carting him off somewhere nice and isolated to satisfy his baser urges.

"Don't worry – everyone's supporting you," Sakura consoled, unaware of the perverted turn of his thoughts. "We were all surprised you kept it in for so long, though."

"Well, it _is_ Gaara," Naruto mumbled into the table before peeking up at her.

Sakura mentally agreed, feeling sympathetic towards her distraught friend. She didn't know the whole story behind Gaara, but she knew enough to know the young Kazekage hadn't been ready for Naruto's feelings, and the many drastic events occurring afterwards had definitely not been helpful in this situation. But since the war had been over for a few years, she was certain Naruto had a chance now.

"But now you have a chance," she encouraged, voicing her thoughts.

"Yeah, but I don't know when, or if I have the guts to confess," Naruto said, finally getting past the fact that everyone knew about his feelings for the redhead.

Sakura frowned. "When have you ever been so pessimistic, Naruto?"

"He's never shown any feelings besides friendship towards me, Sakura," Naruto told her. Gaara had blushed that one time, but he couldn't base the sand nin's feelings off that one occasion. It might have been a fluke. "As of now, my chances of being rejected are high."

"That's not true," Sakura said, determined to prove him wrong. "Gaara's always given you special treatment compared to others. He always seems happier when you're around. It doesn't show on his face – not that anything really does – but it's like his aura softens when you're around. And whenever he gets some free time when he's in Konoha, he always spends it with you. _And_ you're the only one I've ever seen him smile at; he's never smiled at anyone else in Konoha."

"Really?" Naruto asked, feeling his hopes rise again. He'd never noticed Gaara's softer aura before, probably because he was used to it, and Gaara spending all of his free time with Naruto was most likely the result of cornering the sand nin every chance he got when Gaara was in Konoha. Admittedly, Naruto had noticed Gaara smiling more, but maybe it was because _he_ was the only one they were directed at. The thought made him excited before he remembered seeing Gaara smile at Temari and Kankuro once or twice. Okay, maybe he did smile at others, but Naruto saw the rare sight more often than anyone else, which made him all the more thrilled. He wasn't afraid to admit he loved Gaara's smile – even though it was more of a very slight up-curving of his lips, but it was a smile, and that was all that mattered.

"I think you have a good chance, Naruto," Sakura said sincerely.

Naruto sat up and smiled at his teammate. "Thanks, Sakura."

She smiled back. "By the way, the New Year's Festival is coming up next week."

"Huh?" The sudden change of topic caught him off guard.

"And guess who's coming?"

"Who?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit wary at the sly look on the pink-haired medic nin's face.

"The Kazekage and his entourage will be attending the festival," Sakura informed him with glee.

It took a couple minutes for the information to sink in before Naruto stood up in alarm, nearly knocking over his chair in the process.

"What? You mean Gaara's coming _here_?" he exclaimed. He'd told himself he'd confess when Gaara returned, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. He wasn't ready!

"Yep. And even better, he'll be staying for two weeks this time. Not for kage business, but for _vacation_."

"Vacation?" Naruto asked uncertainly. Could kages even take vacations? He hadn't known.

Sakura nodded. "Kankuro and Temari forced him to take a break from his kage duties. They said he's been working nonstop since the war ended, and they heard about the festival, so they asked Lady Tsunade if he can vacation in Konoha."

Naruto couldn't do anything but gape dumbly at her as he tried to process the unexpected news. Gaara was going to be in Konoha for two weeks? And not on kage business? That meant…he'd have two weeks to have Gaara all to himself!

"I have to get going now, but I'll always be available if you need me," Sakura said, standing up. Naruto was her annoying, hyper-active long-time friend, and she was determined to pay back everything he had done for her. "We'll make sure this is a success. Good luck, Naruto!"

After Sakura had left, Naruto sat at the dining table contemplatively. How was he going to confess? Blurting out 'I love you' probably wasn't the best idea. Should he be more romantic about it? Would Gaara even realize he's being wooed? Probably not.

Naruto sat for exactly three minutes before he abruptly stood. He wasn't a good thinker; he needed some action! Grinning foolishly, he hurried to his room and grabbed Gama-chan, his beloved frog-shaped wallet. He needed to get this perfect if he was going to confess, and he needed all the help he could get!

**-~~o0O0o~~-**

"Is he here yet?" Naruto asked anxiously four days later.

"Stop pacing and sit down, Naruto," Tsunade commanded. "You've been asking every five minutes, and no, he's not here yet."

Naruto reluctantly plopped down in the chair in the Hokage office. Gaara was supposed to arrive in Konoha today. Festivities would begin tomorrow and continue on for three days, and the bustling of Konoha readying for the festival only made Naruto more anxious.

A minute later, Naruto was up and pacing again, much to the Hokage's irritation. Before she could command him to sit down again, a knock at the door sounded.

"Come in," Tsunade called.

Shizune opened the door and stepped in.

"Lady Tsunade, the Kazekage has arri—" she yelped when a blond blur flew past her and out the door.

Tsunade sighed. The boy couldn't sit still to save his life.

"Come, Shizune. We'll greet the Kazekage before Naruto drags him off like usual," she said, standing and exiting the office with her attendant in tow.

Outside, Naruto arrived at the gates of Konoha. He glimpsed figures walking towards the gates, and as soon as he caught sight of red, he was off.

"Gaara!" he exclaimed happily when he reached them, ignoring the Suna guards who tensed at his presence but soon relaxed upon seeing who it was.

"Naruto," Gaara greeted monotonously.

Used to it, Naruto couldn't help but stare adoringly at the unruffled Kazekage, a wide grin spreading across his face. It had only been three months since the last time they'd seen each other, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Hey, brat, don't we get any greetings?"

Shaken from his reverie, Naruto looked in surprise at the two Suna nins smirking at him. He hadn't even noticed them standing on either side of the Kazekage – mainly because he'd been so focused on the redhead himself.

"Oh, hey, Kankuro, Temari," he said, giving a little wave before Sakura's words suddenly hit him, and he blushed. Gaara's siblings _knew_ of his feelings, and those smirks were definitely conveying their knowledge of it.

"Naruto?" Gaara said, drawing the blond's attention to him. "Are you feeling well? Your face is red."

"Huh? Uh, yeah! I'm fine! Anyways, since you three are here, whose watching Suna?" Naruto asked, quickly changing topics and trying to ignore the knowing looks the two older sand siblings sent him.

"I left Baki in charge," Gaara said, accepting Naruto's words.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that guy. Your sensei from the Chūnin exams, right?"

As they walked towards the gate, Naruto babbled about random subjects while Gaara was content to quietly listen. Naruto didn't mind in the least – he was used to Gaara's silence, but he knew the redhead was attentive to everything he said no matter what he said.

Once they reached the gates a few minutes later, Tsunade stood waiting for them with Shizune next to her.

"Greetings, Lord Kazekage. I hope your journey went well," she greeted cordially.

"Lady Hokage," Gaara greeted smoothly in return. "All went well. Thank you for allowing us to stay in Konoha."

"It's not a problem. Please enjoy your stay," Tsunade replied, smiling at the Kazekage. Naruto could definitely learn some manners from the young leader.

"Hey, are you done yet?" Naruto interrupted before anyone else could speak. He definitely wasn't one for pleasantries, and he was getting antsy because he wanted to spend some quality time with Gaara.

The Hokage scowled at the blond before looking back at the Kazekage. She'd smack Naruto later. "We have your lodgings ready, Lord Kazekage. Shizune and I will show you the way."

As soon as the Suna nin and guards were settled into one of the best inns in Konoha, Naruto dragged Gaara off to Ichiraku before anyone could stop him.

"Two orders of ramen, please!" Naruto ordered as soon as he sat.

Gaara settled into the seat opposite of him. Naruto typically ordered for both of them, but Gaara didn't mind. The moment the bowls of steaming broth and noodles were placed in front of them, Naruto wasted no time in slurping it down. Gaara watched with mild amusement as Naruto swiftly ordered another and finished it as quickly as he did the first.

"Ah, that was delicious!" Naruto sighed contentedly a dozen bowls later, leaning back and patting his belly.

Gaara briefly wondered where all of it went. Did he have a black hole for a stomach? Probably, since Gaara was just finishing his first bowl.

"You eat really slow, Gaara," Naruto commented. "And how can you taste anything with those tiny bites?"

"I could say the same to you," Gaara replied mildly, setting his chopsticks over the empty bowl. "Slurping down those noodles as quickly as you do hardly gives you a chance to taste them."

Naruto scowled. "Hey! I _do_ taste them! Why else would I eat ramen if I couldn't taste it?"

Gaara just gave him a look that told him they definitely _weren't_ going to argue about ramen again, since the last time had yielded an irritated redhead and an offended blond. Naruto pouted.

"I should be getting back before Kankuro or Temari come looking for me," Gaara said, glancing at the darkened skies outside.

"What? Already?" Naruto couldn't help but whine. Time had passed by so quickly he hadn't even noticed the setting sun.

"I'll be here for two weeks," Gaara pointed out.

"Oh, right," Naruto grinned sheepishly as he brightened.

"Thank you for the meal," Gaara said, standing up and picking up the gourd he'd leaned against the wall.

"Um," Naruto faltered, wondering if it would be weird if he asked Gaara if he could walk him back to the inn.

Gaara, in the middle of strapping the gourd on, looked at him questioningly.

"Er, there's a festival tomorrow," Naruto said lamely, mentally berating himself. Of course Gaara knew already! He did come specifically for the festival after all!

Gaara blinked and then nodded. "The New Year's Festival."

"S-so since there's a festival, w-would you like to c-come with me?" Naruto asked, feeling stupid for stuttering through it. Even so, he waited anxiously for the redhead to reply.

"Yes," Gaara replied easily, thinking it would be easier to find his way through the crowds if he had someone knowledgeable about Konoha with him.

"Really? Great! I'll come pick you up tomorrow then!" Naruto crowed cheerfully, inwardly relieved and disappointed Gaara hadn't been aware he'd just been asked out on a date. Then again, there wasn't any reason for Gaara to think this was different than any of their other outings, which was a little depressing. Once Gaara had left, Naruto hurried to Sakura's. He had plans to complete.


	3. Chapter 3

Credits to Kishimoto Masashi for the characters. The story is mine.

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**Chapter 3**

* * *

The next day, Naruto stood in front of Sakura's house, knocking at the door until the pink-haired medic nin answered.

"Come in," Sakura ushered him upstairs to her room.

"Hi, Ino," Naruto said, noticing the blond kunoichi seated on Sakura's bed.

"Take off your clothes," Ino said without greeting.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"If you want this to be perfect, you're _not _going to look like you just walked out of a war zone," she told him, looking over his dirt- and grass-stained outfit with a critical eye. "Actually, you should shower first. You're all sweaty and dirty."

"You know where the bathroom is," Sakura said, handing him a pink towel.

After a speedy shower, the two kunoichis fussed over his appearance, looking positively excited at the prospect of a blooming romance. Sakura made him wear one of her father's old yukatas; it was a simple dark navy blue with a white sash. They gave up on trying to tame his wild blond locks and stepped back to admire their work.

"Not bad," Ino commented, looking him over. If one overlooked his boisterous tendencies and he sat still, Naruto could actually be considered very handsome. Even the blond kunoichi felt a slight regret that he wasn't interested in anyone besides a certain redheaded Kazekage.

"You look great, Naruto," Sakura smiled genuinely, a little surprised Naruto could clean up so well.

"Thanks, Sakura, Ino," Naruto said warmly.

"Anyways," Sakura coughed. "You should go pick up Gaara. We'll get ready for the festival and meet you guys there."

Naruto nodded and took off. If everything went well, the first two nights of the festival would be spent wooing the Kazekage, leaving the last night for the confession. His enthusiasm couldn't be contained, and he grinned the entire run over to the inn where Gaara stayed.

Kankuro opened the door when Naruto knocked, looking him up and down.

"Yo," Kankuro grunted as in a way of greeting before he paused and added, "Stop smiling like that; it's creepy."

"You look…different," Naruto commented when he took in the second eldest sand sibling's appearance, ignoring Kankuro's words.

Rather than his standard black attire and face-paint, he wore a dark blue yukata with a black sash. His brown hair stuck up like he'd just gotten out of bed. He looked surprisingly like a normal everyday man rather than the dangerous puppeteer nin Naruto knew him to be.

"You're looking dolled up yourself," Kankuro replied, stepping aside to let Naruto enter.

"Where's Gaa—" Before Naruto could finish, he found himself slammed to the closed door, face to face with Kankuro, the older man's fist bunched up in the collar of his yukata.

"Just so you know, I'll make sure you regret it if you hurt my little brother," Kankuro said calmly, looking every bit as deadly as Naruto had earlier thought him to be, but Naruto's surprise quickly cooled when he registered Kankuro's words.

"I won't hurt him," Naruto vowed, his resolute stare unwavering.

Kankuro studied him for a minute before he nodded once, the deadly look vanishing as he stepped back. Turning away, he walked into the spacious common room and knocked loudly on one of the doors to the right while Naruto smoothed down his wrinkled yukata.

"Hey, Temari, you ready yet?" he called. "Blondie's here!"

"Just a second!" Naruto heard the muffled reply through the door. "There! All done!"

The door opened, and Gaara stepped out with Temari, but Naruto barely even noticed her. He gawked at the redhead, his captivated gaze sliding down the slim form. Aside from his maroon-colored hair, black-lined jade eyes, and bright red tattoo, Gaara wore a deep, burgundy yukata embroidered with a gold design Naruto recognized from Gaara's gourd. Rather than the high-collared tops the sand nin favored, Naruto was granted the sight of a slender, pale neck. A gold-striped sash was cinched tightly around Gaara's narrow waist, emphasizing his slight build. Naruto noticed a small gourd – undoubtedly filled with sand – hanging from a cord tied around his waist. Simple wooden sandals adorned his feet, finishing off the outfit.

"Earth to Naruto?" Kankuro waved a hand in front of the dazed blond's face. "Are ya done ogling my brother yet?"

Naruto snapped out of his daze and flushed a bright red. He swatted the hand waving in front of his face away.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he squeaked, quickly glancing at the redhead, who stared back at him curiously.

Kankuro just chuckled, exchanging a look with his older sister. Temari smirked, eyeing Naruto with a decidedly evil look in her eye.

"A-anyway, are you ready to go, Gaara?" Naruto hurriedly asked in case the two elder sand siblings decided to tease him.

Gaara nodded, blissfully unaware of the exchange between the three, following Naruto towards the door.

"We'll meet you guys later. Take care of him, Naruto," Temari told the blond sternly.

"I will!" Naruto called back, taking ahold of Gaara's sleeve and pulling him out of the inn.

"Slow down, Naruto. The festival will still be there when we arrive," Gaara said in his usual monotone, gently sliding his sleeve out of Naruto's grip.

"Oh, sorry," Naruto apologized, slowing his half-jog to a walk.

Gaara accepted his apology with a slight tilt to his head and walked side-by-side with the blond. This side of the village was quieter, the boisterous sounds of festivities nearer to the central part of the village. The evening was cool, and the moon shone brightly high above them. Naruto quite suddenly realized it was almost like a romantic walk in the evening. It wasn't until then that it finally sunk in to Naruto what he had planned for the next three days, and for the first time since he'd known Gaara, he felt unexpectedly nervous being alone with him. He couldn't help but worry. What if things didn't go as planned? What if he did something stupid and made Gaara think less of him? Even worse, what if Gaara rejected him?

Once they reached the festival, Naruto's worries were soon forgotten as his childish urges kicked in, excitedly pulling Gaara to play the games and stop at various vendors, nearly squealing in joy when he discovered Ichiraku had set up a small stand as well. Gaara, on the other hand, was content to watch the blond's antics rather than participating, but he quietly enjoyed himself nonetheless.

The evening seemed to end all too soon, however, and Naruto found himself standing at the entrance of the inn facing Gaara.

"That was…fun," Gaara spoke first, testing the last word out like he'd never used it.

"Yeah," Naruto grinned, remembering he'd almost gone overboard with the goldfish catching game before Gaara had stepped in to calm the situation down. He glanced down, smiling to himself when he saw the little goldfish swimming in slow circles in the small plastic bag Gaara held, along with the other assortment of prizes Naruto had won for him.

The two stared at each other for another minute. Naruto noticed Gaara was staring at him rather contemplatively, as if he wanted to say something, but he apparently decided against it when he stepped back.

"Thank you for tonight. Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Gaara," Naruto said softly as the redhead disappeared into the inn.

**-~~o0O0o~~-**

The next evening went very similarly to the first. After Naruto picked up Gaara, they headed to the festival and went from vendor to vendor. This time, however, Naruto noticed Gaara kept staring at him with that mildly thoughtful look before it would turn back into his usual stoic mien. Naruto was beginning to worry Gaara had somehow found out. Did someone let it slip? Did _he_ let it slip? He'd been trying to act normally over the last couple days, and he'd thought he was doing pretty well until now.

When he walked Gaara back to the inn, again Gaara paused as if to say something, but like the other night, he merely thanked Naruto and bid him a good night before returning to the inn.

By the third evening, Naruto was worrying himself sick. What if Gaara knew? Was he trying to think of a way to gently reject him? Sakura tried to console the distraught blond as best as she could, convincing him to continue with the plans for this evening when he tried to call it off.

When he arrived at the inn, he was a nervous wreck. Tonight was the night. He couldn't mess it up. Everything had gone eerily perfect so far – thanks to his friends who he was eternally grateful for – and he knew if he didn't confess tonight, he wouldn't only be letting everyone supporting him down, but himself as well.

"I'll do it!" Naruto promised himself, slapping his cheeks and wincing at the sting before marching into the inn.

Knocking on the familiar door, Naruto expected Kankuro to answer like the other nights, but was surprised to see the redhead himself answer.

"Gaara?" Naruto said dumbly, unexpectedly thrown off course.

"Kankuro and Temari left earlier," Gaara explained calmly, stepping into the hallway and locking the door behind him.

"Oh," Naruto said, feeling his nervousness return tenfold now that he was standing next to the object of his affections, who was innocently staring at him, completely unaware that Naruto was internally melting under his beautiful jade eyes. "S-so why don't we head out?"

Gaara agreed, still having not commented on Naruto's increased stuttering in the past couple days. The nerves only served to make Naruto into a chatterbox, and even he didn't know half of what he was saying. Gaara, however, seemed to not notice as he was lost in his own thoughts.

Once the pair arrived at the festival, several pairs of eyes keenly watched their progress into the crowds.

"_The targets have arrived,"_ one of them said into the device attached to his neck.

"_Roger. Keep an eye on them; don't lose them in the crowds," _another ordered.

A chorus of acknowledgements rose. The pair walked through the festival for the next thirty minutes, seemingly unaware of the eyes following them.

"_Drunk man at two o'clock. Haruno, take care of it,"_ the leader of the group spoke.

"_Got it,"_ a feminine voice sounded in the device.

Perched on a balcony overlooking the festival, the leader watched as the pink-haired medic nin smoothly intercepted the stumbling drunk man before he could crash into the unsuspecting blond, sneaking away before he noticed.

"_Ino, four o'clock, toddler,"_ the leader commanded.

"_Safe,"_ the disguised blond kunoichi replied, catching the toddler before he could trip and spill his sticky treats all over the Kazekage's yukata.

After several similar incidents, the pair remained unscathed and oblivious of the eyes following their every move.

"_Inuzuka, another drunk at six o'clock,"_ the leader said, watching as the dog nin disguised as a vendor turned the drunk around into another direction before he sighed. _"How troublesome. Can't he even walk without finding trouble?"_

"_It's Naruto. What did you expect?"_ Sakura chuckled.

There were several varied agreements over the device.

"_You have company, Nara,"_ a deep male voice noted.

Shikamaru turned, alerted by the Hyuga's warning, and spotted a smirking blond kunoichi standing behind him, hand perched on her hip.

"How long have you been standing there?" the shadow nin asked, slouching back into his position overlooking his troublesome blond friend and the Kazekage.

"Long enough." Was the reply. "I just wanted to see how things were going with my little brother."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru lazily replied.

"Huh," Temari snorted, striding over to stand by him. "I thought so."

Ignoring the sarcasm, Shikamaru squinted down, having lost the pair in the crowd. _"Location?"_

"_Yosh! I am following our two youthful friends at a ten meter distance! They are at the beanbag tossing vendor at the moment!"_ an enthusiastic voice answered.

Shikamaru winced at the volume. _"Lower your voice, Lee. You'll give us away."_

"_My apologies! I will now follow our youthful friends as silently as a lamb!"_ came the equally loud reply.

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru located the pair standing in line at the beanbag tossing vendor. It wasn't long before the short attention span of the blond caused him to pull the Kazekage away to go elsewhere. _"Chōji, they're approaching your stand."_

"_I see them,"_ his long-time friend murmured before addressing the blond and his companion. _"Oh, hey, Naruto. Hello, Lord Kazekage. Are you enjoying the festival?"_

Satisfied things were going well, Shikamaru glanced at the crescent moon softly glowing high in the dark sky. It was time. _"Naruto should be taking the Kazekage to the designated location in ten. Lee and Ino, return to your original positions. Haruno and Inuzuka, continue tailing them. Hyuga, Sai, and TenTen, take your positions. Hyuga and Aburame, is it ready?"_

"_Y-yes," _a nervous feminine voice answered after the others replied.

"_It's ready,"_ Shino replied in a much calmer tone.

Meanwhile in the crowded festival, Naruto glanced at the sky and smiled at Chōji. "I'll see you later, Chōji. Let's go, Gaara, I have something I want to show you!"

Chōji waved to them as they left. _"Targets are departing."_

"_Good, we're prepared for their arrival. Take your position, Chōji."_

Grunting an agreement, Chōji left the stand.

"Where are we going, Naruto?" Gaara questioned as he followed the energetic blond.

"You'll see," Naruto sent him a quick smile and continued through crowded streets.

Gaara soon recognized the path they were headed towards. The Hokage's residence, towering over all of the other buildings in Konoha. Why would Naruto take him there?

"Come on!" Naruto urged the curious sand nin to hurry.

Gaara obliged, briefly wondering if they were breaking the rules as he followed Naruto to the rooftop. It was too late to regret it, however. He slowly approached the rails where Naruto stood.

"Look! The view from here is great," Naruto exclaimed, arms swinging out to emphasize his words.

Gaara looked over the rails and was immediately impressed. Below them, the lights of the festival shone brightly, lighting the buildings around them. The rest of the village was shrouded in the shadows with only the occasional light blinking from a random building in the distance. Konoha certainly was beautiful, but for Gaara, Suna was the only village he could fully appreciate.

"It's beautiful," Gaara commented softly.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, staring at Gaara's features illuminated by the lights rather than the village. Facing the festivities, Gaara didn't notice as Naruto quickly flashed a small object in his hands.

"_Signal received. Targets are in position. Commence operation,"_ Shikamaru ordered from where he sat on the balcony, sharp eyes glimpsing the signal Naruto had flashed, reflecting the lights of the festival.

Within seconds, a projectile was fired into the air, and the dark skies were suddenly exploding with color. Gasps sounded from below before the citizens of Konoha shouted with awe.

"Fireworks," Gaara murmured, eyes trained on the explosion of colorful lights in the skies. The loud din had startled him into thinking they were being attacked, but he had quickly relaxed upon seeing there was no danger.

Smiling, Naruto gazed at the oblivious redhead. This was it. This was the moment. Naruto swallowed thickly, wiping his suddenly sweaty palms on his yukata. He was nervous and afraid, but he was determined.

"Gaara," he began, heart fluttering when the redhead turned his head to look at him. "I…"

"_Lee, watch out!"_

"_What's going—"_ Shikamaru demanded, startled into alertness at Neji's shout over the device.

"_Neji-nii-san!"_ Hinata cried out, and suddenly Shikamaru glimpsed an object in the corner of his eye.

"Shit!" Temari voiced his thoughts next to him when she saw the projectile heading straight towards the Hokage residence where the two figures stood.

At the same time, Gaara spotted the object flying towards them, his sand automatically shooting out of the small gourd at his side. _Not enough sand! _He realized too late just as Naruto finally noticed the projectile.

"Naruto!"

And then the skies were illuminated with sparkling colors everywhere.

**-~~o0O0o~~-**

Naruto groaned, slowly blinking awake. He stared blearily at the ceiling before turning his head to the side, taking in the unfamiliar room.

_Where am I?_ He wondered fuzzily. _Where's Gaa—Gaara! Where is he? _Suddenly jolted into consciousness, he shot up before falling back at the pain in his head and wincing. Noticing the bed he was on and the bandages on his body, Naruto took a better look at his surroundings.

"The hospital?" he wondered aloud, confusion evident in his tone. How had he gotten here? And _why_ was he here?

Suddenly, the door was opened, and Naruto's personal redheaded angel stepped through, looking unharmed and still dressed in his yukata.

"You're awake." Gaara looked relieved as he walked towards the bed.

"Gaara?" Naruto croaked before clearing his throat. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Gaara frowned. "You don't remember?"

"No, I—" Naruto faltered as a memory struck him. "There was an explosion, and then lights…The festival! What about the festival?"

"It's over," Gaara told him, wondering why the blond looked so crestfallen.

"How long?" Naruto asked, dread filling him. The plans had been ruined!

"Only for a few hours," Gaara replied carefully. "After the Hokage's rooftop was destroyed, they put a stop to the festivities."

"What…what happened?"

"Temari informed me Lee-san accidentally tripped over a firework device and set it off. Hyuga Neji attempted to stop it, but was unable to do so," Gaara answered before suddenly asking, "Would you care to explain why your friends were spying on us for the past three nights?"

Startled at the sudden question, Naruto squawked and fumbled for an answer before settling with, "You noticed?"

A short nod. "I figured this incident has to do with it, and it seems you are in on it as well."

Unable to deny it, Naruto looked down at his lap. Gaara would surely reject him now. The thought scared him more than he wished it to.

"Naruto?" Gaara asked when the blond stayed uncharacteristically quiet. "Do your wounds hurt?"

"No, I—" Naruto stopped, the question bringing memories of the last time Gaara had asked.

"Naruto?" Gaara questioned again, coming closer, concerned about his friend and discarding his other questions for now.

Naruto suddenly looked up, and Gaara was inwardly surprised at the resolute expression held in his blue eyes. The blond shifted to sit at the edge of the bed, looking up at the sand nin.

"They hurt," Naruto said, staring Gaara straight in the eye. The plans he'd carefully constructed with his friends were ruined, but maybe he still had a chance. "Can you make it better?"

The redhead appeared confused before a look of understanding crossed his face. A very light blush adorned his cheeks, causing Naruto's heart to nearly stop at the sight. He waited anxiously for what felt like a lifetime as the sand nin silently considered his request.

"Where?"

Naruto's hopes expanded like a balloon at the softly spoken word. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading.

"Here," he said, holding out the same arm he'd carelessly injured six months ago. A new bandage was wrapped around the healing burns now, but the significance of the action was not lost to both nins.

Stepping closer, Gaara gently held the arm like he'd done before, leaning down and pressing his lips softly to the injured limb. He lifted his head, eyes never leaving the blue ones trained on him.

"Better?"

Naruto smiled. "Not yet."

The room was quiet except for Naruto directing the sand nin over his healing burns. Once Gaara pulled away from where he had kissed Naruto's cheek, both were blushing. A bright red stained the blond's cheeks, but a light pink was dusted over the redhead's.

"One last place," Naruto whispered, drawing the sand nin down, giving him time to decide to stop.

Gaara allowed himself to be pulled closer, subtly relaxing when their lips touched almost innocently. Remembering the last time as Naruto licked the seam across his lips, begging for entrance, Gaara opened his mouth, shyly touching his tongue to the blond's. Naruto was delighted, murmuring his pleasure and wrapping his arms around Gaara's waist. Gaara placed his hands on the blond's shoulders, hesitantly looping his arms around Naruto's neck.

Naruto was the first to pull away after another minute, both lightly panting for breath. Gaara stopped himself from leaning down for another kiss and gazed into the other's eyes, surprised at the seriousness and gentleness looking back at him.

"Gaara," Naruto said before the redhead could speak. "I love you."

Gaara's eyes widened when he registered the words, and he stiffened. When he didn't react any other way, Naruto worriedly looked up at the blank-faced sand nin.

"Gaara?" Naruto asked anxiously. He wanted a reaction of some kind at least! No response was worse than a rejection.

"Naruto…" Gaara finally spoke, slowly removing his arms around Naruto's neck, but Naruto frantically tightened his hold around the redhead's waist. Gaara didn't seem to notice from where he stood unmoving, staring down at the blond with a carefully expressionless mask.

"I-I love you!" Naruto blurted out, if only to put off Gaara's rejection for another minute. He feared Gaara's rejection the most, and since Gaara now knew of his feelings, he wanted to ingrain them into the sand nin at the very least. It was selfish of him, he knew, but he didn't want to lose his most precious person. "For a long time now. I've tried to hold myself back all these years because I wanted to be a good friend, and I knew you weren't ready, but I couldn't help myself! I don't want to lose you. You're everything to me—"

Naruto was stopped when a finger softly touched his lips. He stared wide-eyed at the sand nin, heart thumping wildly in his chest, near to begging the redhead to stay by his side even if he had to shove aside his feelings so they could remain friends.

"Naruto," Gaara said gently, removing his finger when he was sure the blond would stay quiet. Gaara seemed to carefully choose his next words, his blank mask crumbling slightly as a pained look appeared in his eyes. "I…I never expected—No…love is…a painful topic for me, ever since…"

Naruto waited, watching as the redhead hesitated, recalling the painful memories that had changed him so drastically.

"But you changed me," Gaara continued, forging on, determinedly raising his gaze to the blond's. "If it weren't for you, I would still be mindlessly killing. I wouldn't be Kazekage; I wouldn't have found my precious people. And I wouldn't…I wouldn't feel these feelings for you."

Naruto felt like his lungs constricted, and he suddenly couldn't breathe. Did Gaara mean…?

"I don't know if it's love," Gaara confessed. "But I know you're my precious person. Not like Temari or Kankuro or the people of my village. You're different; these feelings I feel towards you are different. Sometimes…it's even painful."

_That's love,_ Naruto wanted to say, but he didn't. It was close enough, though, and the happiness spreading through his body encouraged him to squeeze his arms around _his_ Kazekage. Gaara gazed down at him, for once allowing the stoic mask to slide away, exposing his pain, confusion, and unbreakable resilience.

"I love you, Gaara," Naruto repeated. "And I always will. I'm not good with fancy words, but I just know I want to be with you. Your pain; I'll take care of it so you don't hurt anymore."

Gaara tensed very slightly when Naruto reached up and pushed the collar of his yukata to the side, but allowed the blond to do as he pleased. Naruto exposed one creamy shoulder and the left side of Gaara's chest. He leaned forward, pressing his lips over where Gaara's heart lay, the organ beating as heavily and excitedly as Naruto's own.

"I'll take away your hurt," Naruto vowed as he pulled back, looking up at the surprised jade eyes.

Gaara gazed down at him in silence before a tiny, tremulous smile appeared, and Naruto was awed at the sight. It made his redhead glow; it made his heart stutter with happiness. Standing, Naruto carefully encircled the smaller frame into his own, smiling when hesitant arms wound around his own waist before tightly clinging to him.

"Will you take the pain away?" Gaara peered up at him almost fearfully.

Understanding his request, Naruto obliged, tilting up the sand nin's face and pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. The redhead melted against him, pressing up almost desperately.

Breaking away after a few minutes, Naruto grinned softly. "Feel better?"

Gaara blinked, a tiny smile appearing again, pulling him back down for another kiss. "Not yet."

Unbeknownst to the two nins currently enamored with each other, a crowd of nins and the Hokage were piled on each other in the hallway, peering into the room with great interest. Several giggled at the sight and others merely smiled.

"Mission successful."

* * *

A/N: It's a day late, but Happy New Years!


End file.
